When people talk about “URL ranking,” they’re usually referring to how well a specific page on a website appears in search engine results. Many business owners think Google ranks only whole websites, but in reality, Google ranks individual URLs — one page at a time.
My name is Eventus Offiong Okon, a Nigerian web designer and digital strategist since 2019. Over the years, I’ve built websites and optimized pages that climbed from nowhere on Google to the front page. One thing I learned is this: your domain doesn’t rank by itself — your URLs do. Each page has its own chance to win on Google depending on its value, structure, and relevance.
So in this article, I’ll explain what URL ranking really means, why it’s extremely important, and how you can improve the performance of your own web pages using proven, real-world strategies.
What URL Ranking Really Means
URL ranking refers to where a specific webpage appears on Google when someone searches for a particular keyword.
This means:
A homepage can rank for one keyword,
A blog post can rank for another,
A product page can rank for something completely different.
Think of your website as a library. Google doesn’t rank the entire library — it ranks each book inside it.
So instead of asking, “How does my website rank?”, the real question is:
“How does each URL on my website rank for its target keywords?”
Why Understanding URL Ranking Matters for Your Business
When you understand URL ranking, you also understand how search engines determine relevance. It helps you:
Increase visibility for individual services
Boost traffic by targeting more keywords
Understand which content brings results
Optimize pages that are underperforming
Build authority across multiple angles of your niche
A website with 20 well-optimized URLs will always outperform a website with 1 “good” homepage.
What Determines a URL’s Ranking on Google
Here are the most important factors that influence how well your URL appears in search results:
Content quality and relevance
Google evaluates if your content answers a real question and provides value.
High-ranking URLs usually contain:
Clear explanations
Helpful insights
Examples
Clean structure
Practical solutions
Keyword targeting
Your URL ranks based on how well it satisfies the intent behind a keyword.
For example:
“how to design a website”
“website designer in Nigeria”
“pricing for business websites”
Each one requires a different URL with a different purpose.
Backlinks pointing to that specific URL
Google uses backlinks as a vote of confidence.
A single strong backlink to one page can boost it dramatically.
User experience
Google checks how people behave when they land on your page.
If they stay long and scroll → you move up
If they leave quickly → your ranking drops
Core Web Vitals (performance metrics)
These include:
Page loading speed
Mobile friendliness
Visual stability
Secure HTTPS connection
A fast, stable page always ranks better.
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Your writing style, expertise, and transparency matter.
This is why I always include real-life experiences from the websites I’ve designed since 2019 — Google wants authenticity, not robotic content.
Real-Life Case Studies From My Work
Case Study 1: A fashion brand in Lagos ranking for multiple keywords
We created multiple URLs targeting different queries:
“affordable ready-to-wear fashion in Lagos”
“women’s corporate wears Nigeria”
“custom dressmaker in Lagos”
Each page ranked for its own long-tail keyword.
Instead of one high-ranking homepage, the site generated traffic from several ranking URLs, giving them consistent daily visits.
Case Study 2: A real estate agency ranking locally
We built URLs for:
Houses for sale
Short let apartments
Lands for sale
Real estate investment guides
Each URL targeted a type of search intent.
Within months, they started receiving inquiries directly from Google because each URL ranked for its own keyword cluster.
Case Study 3: My own design website (Taculia Designs)
I track keyword performance using:
Google Search Console
SEMrush
Ubersuggest
Instead of focusing on one keyword, I allow each article, service page, and portfolio item to rank individually.
This multi-URL strategy brought continuous traffic without relying on ads.
How to Improve the URL Ranking of Your Website
Here are proven methods businesses can use to rank individual URLs higher:
Optimize on-page SEO
Write clear headings
Add relevant subheadings
Include the right keywords naturally
Add images with alt-text
Make paragraphs short and readable
Improve page speed
Compress images
Use caching
Choose a fast hosting provider
Remove unnecessary scripts
Build internal linking
Link one page to another page with related content.
It helps Google understand the relationship between your pages.
Update your content regularly
Fresh content performs better than abandoned pages.
Build backlinks
Guest posts
Business directories
Partnerships
Local listings
Backlinks power up your URL like fuel.
Understand search intent
Questions
How-to queries
Comparison keywords
Location-based keywords
Match your URL to the exact intent behind the search.
Final Thoughts
URL ranking is one of the most important aspects of SEO because Google doesn’t rank websites — it ranks individual pages. Once you understand how URLs gain authority, you can create a strategy that spreads your visibility across multiple search terms instead of depending on just your homepage.
As someone who has been designing and optimizing websites since 2019, I can confidently say this: if you want real traffic growth, focus on optimizing each URL like a separate digital asset. That is how businesses grow steadily online.